- offers no way of replacing itself democratically
- extends own term indefinitely
- blocks free exchange of information
- censors specific speech that shows its failures or desire of people to replace it
- suppresses internal protests with murders and disappearings of people (1989 Tiananmen, 2019+ Hong Kong, blank paper movement, ...)
etc then it's super clear its primary goal is maintaining power.
Sure, it cannot maintain power without at least seeming to be "aligned with nation". But it takes second place to maintaining power.